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Guest speaker, Jake Thompson, Chief Encouragement Officer, challenged our members to better business owners by “Competing Everyday”. Pulling from his unique professional career, Jake distilled the art of competition into actionable tips such as: take control, don’t let fear guide you, be courageous, and press onward. Jake describes our real competition as ourselves. Real competitors have “grit”; “employ setbacks as a lesson”; and “end on empty”. He recommends having a goal to catch and pass the “next runner”. Competitors finish what they start and finish on an empty tank. Jake created a successful business utilizing these techniques and offers weekly encouragement via his podcast; “Compete Everyday”.

The next time you wash your hands in a public restroom recall the following image: A photo featured in a Playboy magazine of a naked dog that just emerged from the water. That will remind you to “shake” (which is what a dog does when it comes out of the water) your hands and then “fold” (which is where the feature photo is located in the magazine) your paper towel so as to use only one towel. TED talks presented at Tuesday’s meeting focused on memory techniques and conservation. A memory technique is to create a bizarre image about what you are trying to remember that is tied to something that you already know. By using only one paper towel when drying hands, we can save over 571 million pounds of paper. How bizarre!

Elaine Kollaja shared her experience of creating a Little Free Library in her front yard. Started in Wisconsin in 2009, the Little Free Library concept has grown to over 60,000 libraries worldwide. Elaine opened hers in 2017 and named it after her 2 dogs. She regularly updates the selections and enjoys seeing and sometimes visiting with her patrons. You can check out the library on Facebook: Hugo & Lyla’s Little Free Library.

Fred Badyna, our Vice President in charge of speakers advises:
Beginning in August, you have the opportunity to declare when you would like to
promote your business to the members. You can choose the regular presentation at
our meeting, or you can have an offsite to your place of business. Please let me know if
you have a date in mind, otherwise I will be harassing you to no end. Also, Dr Allen
lined up some very informative programs for us, which we thank her for doing such a
good job, so if you have someone in mind, I would greatly appreciate your referral to
me. Let us be your walking talking billboards for your business, so tell us how best to
promote you.
Steve Meleleu of SMA Insurance Services has requested that Marcia
Meleleu be the DBA representative with Steve serving as the alternate.
This request was approved by the DBA Board.

Guest speaker, Lance Spellman, spoke to us about the “cloud” and how it has become a cost-effective method for moving company infrastructures off-premises. Driving factors for making the move to the cloud include: better security; flexibility; easier collaboration; and reduced expense. Dropbox, a cloud service, is a great tool for storing files and providing or restricting access to such files. Encryption of data on a hard drive is not a defense against ransomware. The best defense is a good, quality backup system. The cloud has permitted Lance’s company to eliminate the need for a brick and mortar office.

Dr. Karen Allen reminded us about the importance of wearing sunglasses to protect our eyes and eye tissues. A good pair of sunglasses should provide 100% UVA and UVB protection, which protects the eyes against the sun’s UV rays, which exposure could otherwise lead to cataracts and increase the risk of macular degeneration. Additionally, make sure the sunglasses have an antiglare coat on the back of the lenses and are polarized to reduce glare. Bright sunlight can be a trigger for migraines and bad headaches and wearing sunglasses when out in the sun can help reduce eyestrain and fatigue. It is never recommended to look directly at the sun, even if there is a solar eclipse.

After deciding that the somewhat solitary work of a biologist was not for him, Jim Poluikis entered the car business so that he would have something to drive. He’s never looked back and now has over 40 years of experience in the auto industry. He’s been with Sewell since 1990 and sales new Lexus vehicles and Certified Pre-Owned vehicles of almost any make and model. A Certified Pre-Owned Lexus provides an unlimited mileage 2 year warranty that is in addition to any existing warranty on the vehicle. Jim treats each customer as if he/she was a guest in his home and Sewell is unmatched in customer satisfaction. For a great car buying experience, call Jim.

Fred Badyna, with some assistance from George Ferrin, covered the basics of Social Security and Medicare. Medicare is easily explained as thus: Age 65 is when Part A coverage for hospital stays begins. To obtain coverage for non-hospital expenses, one must sign-up for coverage B. If you want coverage for prescription drugs, you need part D, which requires that you have part B. Of course, you can get A and B by selecting C, a Medicare advantage plan, but you’ll be restricted to network providers. You’ll pay a premium for B, C and/or D.

For Social Security avoid these 4 mistakes: 1. Not working for 35 full years. 2. Not waiting until full retirement age. 3. Not fighting for raises. 4. Not correcting errors on your earnings record.

The best solution for knowing what to do? Contact Fred, he’s the expert and he can effectively guide you through it.

When’s the last time you had a good ole cup of Folgers coffee? Richard Duncan from Addison Coffee Roasters reminded us of the transformation that has occurred in the world of coffee from the days of our parents’ percolator. Richard has been roasting coffee beans for over 30 years in order to provide his clients with the freshest varieties of coffee. He explained the coffee production process, from the tree to the table. Freshly roasted beans, filtered water and water temperature are critical components of a great cup of coffee. So, if the best part of waking up is Folger’s in your cup, you may want to visit Addison Coffee Roasters.

Mary Kay. Mary Kay Ash founded the company with “offering women opportunities that didn’t exist anywhere else” in mind. It is now one of the top direct sales cosmetic companies in the world. Susan enjoys having her own business and the perks that it provides.

Presumably, the Water Conservation speaker that did not show would have encouraged us to save water. To “save” our meeting, each member was provided the opportunity to share something about their business. Can you match the member with their comment?

Nate Abeyta from Deep Cuts butcher shop was our guest speaker. Nate owns Deep Cuts Dallas Butcher Shop and explained his passion for providing superior cuts of meat to his clients, AND HE BROUGHT SAMPLES! Nate makes his own sausage and smokes various cuts of meat. His shop is located at Coit and Belt Line roads and he offers a special “Hot Sandwich” each day of the week. His favorite is cross cut short ribs and he primarily features Texas raised products. If he doesn’t have it, he can get it. So, if you want the best, go to Deep Cuts.

Daniel Scurlock of Scurlock Systems advised as to current happenings in the world of computer security. In light of the recent Facebook security issues he advises that all Facebook users download a copy of their Facebook data file, which will indicate what information Facebook has compiled about you. Other recommendations included: Malware Bytes as an antivirus program; Online backups such as Carbonite and Crashplan; For phone protection – Lookout; For password retention – LastPass; To stop pop up ads – U Block Origin. With over 30 years’ experience in IT, Daniel has experienced most security issues and knows what it takes to best avoid them.

Everything you wanted to know about termites while eating breakfast! Our pest control expert, Bob Nienstadt, advised that termite season is rapidly approaching and the termite swarmers will soon be appearing. Termites eat wood and the wood in a home is a prime target. They will find a way. The best deterrents are chemicals and the best person to apply them is a pest control expert. Hey, that’s Bob.

Bob’s company also provides a lawn weed and feed service. It is still too early to fertilize, so wait and let Bob take care of it at the correct time.

The most powerful tool in interior decorating is color and DBA’s Interior Designer, Lynn Hood, introduced us (via PowerPoint, no less) to this year’s color of the year, Caliente (as per Benjamin Moore). Color can change emotions and provides the greatest bang for the buck when redesigning an interior. For 2018 the trend is darker (see Caliente) with more expressive colors. Always be cognizant that lighting will affect color. When considering a color change, let Lynn show you how to have fun with color.

Our guest speaker, Guy Hatcher (what a great first name!), CFP, CEO of CoVergence Group, a Southlake-based consulting firm, described himself as being passionate about helping people find out what “next” is. As we draw close to retirement our primary concerns are: “Will I have enough and can I remain independent?” With over 25 years of experience in assisting families in planning for their future Guy has developed a roadmap for building a life and legacy. It is not just about financial assets. It includes having a clear vision and the power of a “blessing”. Check out his website: GUYHATCHER.com for more information.

Also, Lynn Hood shared the resume of her neighbor, Barbara Templin, who is looking for an administrative assistant position. See the resume link below.

When it is 19 degrees with a wind chill factor of 6 degrees it is the perfect time to talk about sailing the Bahamas and the Greek Isles. Our member, Steve Meleleu, reviewed several of his experiences sailing the high seas. Steve has been a crewmember on numerous sailing excursions and sails his own 33’ sailboat on Lake Texoma. Steve also reviewed various nautical terms. Be mindful of the Admiral on a sailboat – it is not who you might originally think.

Greetings from around the world were delivered by Kelly Brookbank and Dr. Karen Allen. They demonstrated and explained the greetings and New Year’s customs followed by different nationalities. Middle Eastern peoples warmly greet each other, but only if of the same sex. The handshake is a common greeting in the America’s, while a bow is utilized as part of a Japanese greeting. The Chinese give $ in red envelopes to children as part of their New Year’s custom. In Australia be sure to say, “Good Day, Mate” if you want a return look of disgust. Whenever traveling abroad, it is best to know the local customs if you want to avoid the “typical” American treatment.

The New Year is a time that many business owners and representatives begin new marketing efforts. Hence, a great time to invite guests. Please give some thought to whom you can invite as a prospective new member.

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